New Delhi, Mar 20: Union Minister Beni Prasad Verma today apologised for his remarks critical of Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav.
”I am sorry if my remarks have hurt any body's sentiments,” Verma told reporters after a brief meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Verma, at a public rally in Uttar Pradesh last week, had made certain remarks against Yadav seeking to portray the latter in poor light.
Later, he had said he stood by his statement that Yadav allegedly had “terrorist links”.
Verma had stuck to his guns even as Congress had snubbed him in an apparent bid to mollify SP, which is supporting the government from outside.
Parliament witnessed uproar over Verma's remarks as SP members stormed the Well in both the Houses and demanded the minister's resignation.
UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi reached out the Mulayam Singh Yadav when the Lok Sabha witnessed an adjournment. Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde also met Yadav separately.
The two leaders are learnt to have conveyed to Yadav that the Congress party disapproved of Verma's utterances.